5 players you had no idea moved to the Qatar Stars League this summer

In terms of star-studded squads, the Qatar Stars League ain’t quite the Saudi Pro League. Saudi Arabia has the big-money Middle Eastern football throne on lock. A few big names have begun to trickle Qatarward, though, not least Italy’s Marco Verratti, still in his prime at 31 years of age.

This summer’s transfer window has seen more relatively high-profile players make their way to Qatar, and we’ve identified five of them to have a look at as we enter the new season.

We’re not going to lie—Verratti is still the biggest name in the league, but he’s got competition now, including a 2023-24 Champions League champion.

Luis Alberto

Once upon a time, Luis Alberto was a Liverpool player but his time on Merseyside was very forgettable. The Spaniard is far better known for his superb eight-season career with Lazio.

After tentatively finding his feet during his first season in Rome, Alberto played an average of 42.5 games per season across the following seven years. An absolute stalwart. A ridiculously resilient number 10 who ruled over Rome for four times as long as Julius Caesar did.

Alberto’s Ides of March came in July, when he signed for Al-Duhail for around £10m, with Liverpool getting 50% of that fee in a sell-on clause that was inserted into the Spaniard’s transfer to Lazio a decade ago.

Joselu

What a career journey Joselu has had.

The Spanish striker was a bit of a figure of fun during his time at Newcastle. Having signed from Stoke during the Rafael Benitez era on Tyneside, Joselu appeared to be a decent player apart from the fact that he seemed completely incapable of scoring goals.

This was a problem, obviously. The Geordies were quietly fond of him because of his strong work rate, but after two years, Joselu found himself back in Spain with Alaves.

Skip forward five years and Joselu, having rediscovered his shooting boots, has signed a loan deal with Real Madrid for the 2023-24 season.

Los Blancos won La Liga, Joselu scored the goal that sent them to the Champions League Final in dramatic fashion, and he got on the pitch for the last five or ten minutes of the final, which they won, meaning the lad who struggled at Stoke and Newcastle is now a deserving Champions League Champion.

Real Madrid signed him off the back of that loan spell, then, literally the very next day, sold him to Al Gharafa in Qatar. The rollercoaster never stops.

Benjamin Bourigeaud

Unless you’re an avid Football Manager or FIFA player, you may not be too familiar with Ligue 1 part-of-the-furniture Bourigeaud. He’s been an integral part of Rennes’ midfield for the past seven years, providing a base for the likes of Jeremy Doku and current Barcelona winger Raphinha to work from.

After 311 appearances for Les Rouges et Noirs, Bourigeaud has signed for Al-Duhail alongside the aforementioned Luis Alberto.

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Mahmoud Trezeguet

Aston Villa fans are well aware of Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim Hassan aka Trezeguet, so-called because he apparently had a similar appearance and playing style to France and Juventus striker David Trezeguet in his youth.

Trezeguet spent three years with the Villains, leaving just before they got genuinely good again—a loan move to Istanbul Basaksehir in February 2022. Five months later, the Egyptian, who has regularly played on the opposite wing to Mohamed Salah in the Pharoahs’ national team, made a permanent switch to Trabzonspor for around £4.25.

This summer, Trezeguet joined Al-Rayyan SC on loan, along with ex-Osasuna centre-back stalwart David Garcia.

Mohamed Camara

Al Sadd’s big summer acquisition feels like an absolute steal for the Qatari side. Camara made his name at Redbull Salzburg, who brought through stars such as Sadio Mane, Dayot Upamecano, Marcel Sabitzer, and Konrad Laimer.

He spent three years in Austria, and was selected in the Austrian Bundesliga Team of the Year in his last season with Salzburg before signing for Monaco in Ligue 1.

The Malian international won both the U-17 and U-20 AFCON with his country, and was a regular in Monaco’s midfield.

For Al Sadd to be able to tempt the 24-year-old to Qatar as he nears his prime is therefore quite the coup for the Qatari Stars League.